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Ready to feel old? The Fine Brothers' latest React Gaming video shows teens playing another classic game, 1996's Mario Kart 64. The ten-minute competition is entertaining through the final close race while taking older players back to simpler times. Among our favorite quotes is one of the test subject's confusion over the Nintendo 64 controller, turning it over while pondering, "Who designed this?"

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>get-off-my-lawnkids-reactmario-kartmario-kart-64mario-kart-8nintendo-64react-gamesreact-gamingreactionreaction-videoteens-reactthe-fine-brothersvideoMon, 05 Jan 2015 17:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2014/11/28/joystiq-presents-a-zelda-story/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/11/28/joystiq-presents-a-zelda-story/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/11/28/joystiq-presents-a-zelda-story/#comments
Do you remember the first day you played your favorite game? What about the moment you bought that game; what lengths did you go to pick it up? Joystiq's own Reviews Content Director Richard Mitchell (@TheRichardM) recalls the story of the the day he bought The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time for Nintendo 64, and discusses the patience of his mother with our Community Manager, Anthony John Agnello (@ajohnagnello).

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>a-zelda-storyjoystiq-presentsnintendonintendo-64radiorecommendedsnowthe-legend-of-zeldathe-legend-of-zelda-ocarina-of-timethe-legend-of-zelda-ocarina-of-time-3dzeldaFri, 28 Nov 2014 09:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2014/10/08/this-guy-wants-164-000-for-his-gigantic-video-game-collection/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/10/08/this-guy-wants-164-000-for-his-gigantic-video-game-collection/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/10/08/this-guy-wants-164-000-for-his-gigantic-video-game-collection/#comments
Do you have $164,000 handy? If so, you can snag nearly every retro console game since the beginning of the NES era. Ebay seller "reel.big.fish," also known as Nintendo Twizer, is selling a positively massive collection of games and consoles, spanning everything from the NES to Super Nintendo, Sega Genesis, Game Gear, Game Boy and much more.

He claims to have complete sets of every single game for Super Nintendo, Game Boy, Game Boy Color, Nintendo 64, GameCube, Virtual Boy, 32X, Sega Master System, Game Gear and NES (except for Stadium Events), in addition to several incomplete sets for other consoles, notably a hefty Sega Genesis collection. On top of all the games, there are also multiple variants of various consoles, including every single N64 color. There's far too much to list here - almost 6,000 games - so you may as well watch the video above, and you can also peruse the master list of every single game in the collection.

The catch is that it's all being sold as a single lot, with a $164,000 asking price. That's pretty steep, to be sure, but before you scoff at the price, don't forget the crown jewel of the collection, a framed copy of "No One Wants to Play Sega with Harrison Ford," signed by artist Brandon Bird.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>collectionebaygame-boygame-boy-colorgame-geargenesismaster-systemn64nesnintendonintendo-64saturnsegasega-master-systemsega-saturnsuper-nintendovirtual-boyWed, 08 Oct 2014 13:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2014/10/04/joystiq-weekly-the-cryptarch-grows-a-heart-alien-isolation-re/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/10/04/joystiq-weekly-the-cryptarch-grows-a-heart-alien-isolation-re/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/10/04/joystiq-weekly-the-cryptarch-grows-a-heart-alien-isolation-re/#commentsWelcome to Joystiq Weekly, a "too long; didn't read" of each week's biggest stories, reviews and original content. Each category's top story is introduced with a reactionary gif, because moving pictures aren't just for The Daily Prophet.

Between the Nintendo 64's birthday and the Pokemon TCG iPad app reminding us that our childhood card games no longer have to be played with expensive, holographic pieces of paper, we're teetering toward a slight meltdown. When did we swap out our trapper keepers for a stack of bills? Why did we have to give up Saturday morning cartoons, again? What do you mean there's more to save up for in life beyond booster packs and video games?

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>alien-isolationbattlefield-hardlinedestinyhearthstonejoystiq-weeklynintedo-sixty-FOOOOURnintendo-64pokemonpokemon-tcgskylanders-trap-teamsuper-smash-brosthe-sims-4the-vanishing-of-ethan-carterSat, 04 Oct 2014 13:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2014/10/03/happy-18th-birthday-n64/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/10/03/happy-18th-birthday-n64/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/10/03/happy-18th-birthday-n64/#comments
Nintendo 64! Gaming machine that birthed the modern Nintendo, maker of consoles with libraries both peculiar and specific! Like the Wii U, Wii, and Gamecube that followed, the Nintendo 64 played host to a handful of revolutionary games, some real garbage, and some stuff that was frankly just bizarre.

This week, the Nintendo 64 turns 18 years old, an auspicious year. That's when people start to branch out, to experiment beyond the social mores of youth and high school. Learning new things, meeting unusual people, and creating your adult self from the ground up. You know, when you take a comp lit class, get an industrial piercing, and start wearing garish, insane clothing.

To salute the N64's passage into this period, we celebrate games that reflect that weird, weird, weird stage of life. Occasionally brilliant, sometimes embarrassing, these are 18 games for the 18-year-old N64.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>All-Growns-UpN64N64-AnniversaryNintendoNintendo-64recommendedFri, 03 Oct 2014 17:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2014/08/20/no-mr-brosnan-we-expected-you-to-die-in-goldeneye-007/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/08/20/no-mr-brosnan-we-expected-you-to-die-in-goldeneye-007/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/08/20/no-mr-brosnan-we-expected-you-to-die-in-goldeneye-007/#comments
If you have former Bond actor Pierce Brosnan on your late night chat show, the only right thing to do is to put a N64 controller in his hands and make him play himself in GoldenEye 007, however terrible he is at the multiplayer. And he really is terrible at it.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>goldeneye-007Jimmy-Fallonnintendonintendo-64Pierce-BrosnanrareWed, 20 Aug 2014 05:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2014/07/23/one-man-band-covers-banjo-kazooie-theme-all-instruments-include/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/07/23/one-man-band-covers-banjo-kazooie-theme-all-instruments-include/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/07/23/one-man-band-covers-banjo-kazooie-theme-all-instruments-include/#comments
Covering the intro theme from the Nintendo 64 platformer classic Banjo-Kazooie is a daunting task for any group of musicians. For one thing, it uses a million instruments -- aside from the obvious banjo and kazoo parts, other sections of the melody employ the trumpet, trombone, saxophone, violin, and piccolo, along with various percussive surfaces and cartoonish bear grunts. YouTuber SquidPhysics has assembled the necessary musical arsenal for the one-man performance above, and the results are as impressive as you might expect. Guh-huh!

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>banjo-kazooiecovermusicn64nintendo-64raresquidphysicsWed, 23 Jul 2014 04:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2014/05/05/twitch-plays-pokemon-gambles-with-pokemon-stadium-2/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/05/05/twitch-plays-pokemon-gambles-with-pokemon-stadium-2/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/05/05/twitch-plays-pokemon-gambles-with-pokemon-stadium-2/#comments
Gone are the days when Twitch Plays Pokemon was just a random crowd-play experiment based on a popular Game Boy RPG. Not only has the livestreamed game moved on to Pokemon Platinum for Nintendo DS, but it now features another game on the stream entirely: Pokemon Stadium 2 for Nintendo 64. Now, Twitch chatters can bet on battles between creatures in Pokemon Stadium 2, which act in completely random ways, all while participating in Twitch Plays Pokemon's ongoing quest to catch 'em all.

The livestreamed game began in February with Pokemon Red, in which thousands of viewers were able to control the game using Twitch's embedded chat. The first game ended after two weeks, garnering 35 million viewers and countless memes and pieces of user-created lore. Now hovering around 2,500 concurrent viewers, Twitch Plays Pokemon is slowly approaching 60 million total viewers after having beaten four games in the Pokemon series.

Whether you harbor fond memories of the Nintendo 64 or despise its baffling controller and chunky, untextured polygons, one thing everyone can agree on is that the system was not very portable. At least, until a hacker calling his or herself "Bungle" got a hold of the machine.

According to a description Bungle wrote on the Bacman retro console modding forums, this modified Nintendo 64 features support for both Expansion and Rumble Packs, custom buttons, a legitimate N64 analog stick, internal memory and a 3.5" screen. As you can see, it accepts actual cartridges, and Bungle claims that the device's 4400mAh battery offers about four hours of juice. That's not quite on par with the Nintendo 3DS or Sony's Vita handheld, but is respectable for hardware that was never intended to fit in your pocket.

Best of all, this isn't some hyper-rare one-off project. Bungle claims that this is the fourth such device he or she has created to date, and that more are on the way. It's unknown if these things will ever be available for purchase, but we're keeping our fingers crossed.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>console-modhackhackermodnintendonintendo-64Tue, 08 Apr 2014 20:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/15/retro-bit-bringing-wireless-controllers-to-retro-conoles/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/15/retro-bit-bringing-wireless-controllers-to-retro-conoles/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/15/retro-bit-bringing-wireless-controllers-to-retro-conoles/#comments
Remember Retro-Bit, the company behind the nifty handheld NES / SNES, the RetroDuo Portable? Once again, the company is looking to make your outdated gaming habits a little more convenient, this time with a line of wireless controllers for vintage consoles.

There are three controllers in the Hypermode series, one for the Nintendo 64, a hybrid controller the NES and SNES, and finally one for the Sega Genesis. Each uses a 2.4GHz receiver to connect to its respective console, and all three have turbo functionality. The N64 controller also features a slot for a Rumble Pak. Furthermore, the NES / SNES and Genesis controllers can also be used on PC or Mac.

The N64 controller is slated to launch this summer, while the other two are planned for this fall. Each will cost $30. Distributor Innex will be showing the controllers at its booth during E3. We'll do our best to swing by and check them out.

In the meantime, we pose a simple question: Where's our wireless Saturn controller?

Project Unity's most impressive feature, besides the fact that it works, is that it was constructed entirely out of authentic hardware and does not make use of emulators or combo units like the FC Twin. It also manages to use a single power supply, video output and custom-built controller, regardless of the system selected.

Jump to 09:30 in the video above for a demonstration of this behemoth in action, including the repurposed NES cartridges that contain different circuit boards for each controller type, or start from the beginning for some deliciously chaotic wiring shots.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Amstrad-GX4000Atari-7800BacteriaColecovisioncustomDreamcastGame-Boy-AdvanceGameCubeGenesishackingIntellivisionMega-Drivemoddingneo-geo-MVSNESNintendo-64project-unityPS1PS2Saturnsega-master-systemSega-SaturnSNESSuper-NESTurbografx-16Sat, 13 Apr 2013 18:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2012/08/14/goldeneye-007s-multiplayer-was-added-last-minute-unknown-to-ra/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/08/14/goldeneye-007s-multiplayer-was-added-last-minute-unknown-to-ra/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/08/14/goldeneye-007s-multiplayer-was-added-last-minute-unknown-to-ra/#commentsYou might know that the multiplayer mode for GoldenEye 007, the seminal N64 shooter, was only added to the game late in development. What you probably don't know is that the mode was also added unbeknownst to the management at developer Rare and publisher Nintendo. The revelation comes by way of GoldenEye 007's director Martin Hollis, who delivered a postmortem presentation on the game at GDC Europe.

Hollis' presentation included stories from many of GoldenEye 007's developers, including Steve Ellis, who was responsible for programming the multiplayer mode, a feat he accomplished in a month. Wrote Ellis:

One of the things that always strikes me as crazy in retrospect is that until something like March or April of 1997, there wasn't a multiplayer mode at all. It hadn't even been started. It really was put in at the last minute - something you wouldn't dream of doing these days - and it was done without the knowledge or permission of the management at Rare and Nintendo. The first they knew about it was when we showed it to them working. However - since the game was already late by that time, if we hadn't done it that way, it probably never would have happened.

Hollis said that "quite a few features" were "snuck in" throughout development, which he chalked up to management trusting the team. "I'm sure there were six-month stretches where no member of Rare or Nintendo management came into the team offices," he said. "Which is really quite extraordinary, and all credit to them that they felt able to take that much of a leaned-back approach and place that much trust in the team."

So there you have it, GoldenEye 007's multiplayer mode - a vital, fondly-remembered component of a landmark game - was unplanned, coded in a month and might never have existed at all if it weren't for some serendipitous managerial oversight.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>gamescom-2012gdc-europe-2012goldeneyegoldeneye-007n64nintendonintendo-64rareTue, 14 Aug 2012 14:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2012/08/14/seen-gdc-europe-the-adorable-video-that-led-to-goldeneye-007/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/08/14/seen-gdc-europe-the-adorable-video-that-led-to-goldeneye-007/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/08/14/seen-gdc-europe-the-adorable-video-that-led-to-goldeneye-007/#commentsWhen Martin Hollis first pitched GoldenEye 007 to Rare boss Tim Stamper in 1995, he had worked as a programmer on the arcade version of Killer Instinct. That wasn't, however, his greatest credential to direct the project, he told an audience at GDC Europe. No, his greatest credential was a video he created with his brothers when he was 18.

We managed to record the video during the GoldenEye 007 postmortem and, as you'll see, Hollis has been a Bond fan for quite some time. We'll have more from the postmortem soon.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>gamescom-2012gdc-europe-2012goldeneye-007martin-hollisn64nintendonintendo-64raretim-stamperTue, 14 Aug 2012 07:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/07/n64oid-emulates-nintendo-64-classics-on-android-smartphones/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/07/n64oid-emulates-nintendo-64-classics-on-android-smartphones/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/07/n64oid-emulates-nintendo-64-classics-on-android-smartphones/#comments
The Android platform is no stranger to emulators, but there aren't too many apps that possess as much polish as N64oid. It runs at a surprisingly stable framerate and, best of all, you can pair a Wiimote to the device for more precise controls. Check out a video demonstration after the jump!

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>androidappemulatormobilen64oidnintendonintendo-64Mon, 07 Mar 2011 13:50:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2011/01/02/tool-assisted-speedrun-shows-super-mario-64-beaten-in-five-minut/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/01/02/tool-assisted-speedrun-shows-super-mario-64-beaten-in-five-minut/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/01/02/tool-assisted-speedrun-shows-super-mario-64-beaten-in-five-minut/#comments
A group of five speedrunners has beaten Super Mario 64 with no stars in just five minutes. To do so, they used a whole bag of tricks, including glitches, weird jumping macros, and shortcuts. It's not pretty, but if you have 18274 frames of time to spare, you can see the whole video below.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dsframesnintendonintendo-64platformerspeedrunsuper-mario-64Super-Mario-64-DStool-assistedvideowiiSun, 02 Jan 2011 21:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2010/12/08/youtube-musician-covers-zeldas-song-of-healing-on-wine-glasses/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/12/08/youtube-musician-covers-zeldas-song-of-healing-on-wine-glasses/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/12/08/youtube-musician-covers-zeldas-song-of-healing-on-wine-glasses/#comments
Don't ask us why, but this time of year, we love watching YouTube users' creative takes on musical themes from Zelda games -- and they don't get much more creative than Sp0ntanius' wine glass rendition of Majora's Mask's "Song of Healing." It's watchable in the video posted below.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>coverdsmajoras-masknintendonintendo-64wiizeldaWed, 08 Dec 2010 01:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/20/64-boy-may-be-most-portable-n64-mod-yet/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/20/64-boy-may-be-most-portable-n64-mod-yet/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/20/64-boy-may-be-most-portable-n64-mod-yet/#comments
We've showcased quiteafew portable N64 creations on this here corner of the internet, but the "64 Boy" (pictured above) may very well be the most compact mod we've seen yet -- the world's smallest, according to its maker.

The handheld also features support for connecting up to 4 controllers, in case you're jonesing for some GoldenEye multiplayer on the road and don't mind squinting. The development process is detailed in this thread, and past the break, we've included a video documenting the creation of the 64 Boy.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>64-boymodmodsn64n64-modnintendo-64portableretroretro-modretro-modsTue, 20 Apr 2010 15:45:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/04/internet-heroes-help-blind-gamer-beat-zelda-ocarina-of-time/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/04/internet-heroes-help-blind-gamer-beat-zelda-ocarina-of-time/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/04/internet-heroes-help-blind-gamer-beat-zelda-ocarina-of-time/#comments
Man, we hope your hearts are wearing some light, loose-fitting clothing, because they're about to get warmed. CNN recently aired a video report on mild-mannered Roy Williams, a young man whose love of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is surpassed only by his love of doing awesome, considerate things. Like, for instance, playing Ocarina of Time blindfolded, and writing a guide on how to play the game by only using sound clues, so that a visually impaired gamer living in another country can topple Ganon's tyrannical reign.

Transcribing OoT in this manner took Williams and "three other diehard gamers" two years, but allowed Jordan Verner, a blind gamer living in Ontario, to finish the game for the first time. If that doesn't make you just a little verklempt, then you probably have robot parts where your heart should be.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>blindDSlegend-of-zeldalegend-of-zelda-ocarina-of-timeNintendonintendo-64ocarina-of-timeWiizeldaThu, 04 Mar 2010 12:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2010/01/25/introducing-the-new-king-of-modded-handheld-nintendo-64s/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/01/25/introducing-the-new-king-of-modded-handheld-nintendo-64s/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/01/25/introducing-the-new-king-of-modded-handheld-nintendo-64s/#comments
Before you start wondering: No, we don't post about everysingle portable Nintendo 64 that slides across our tip box -- rather, we only spend our time writing about the ones that are so much cooler than their predecessors. We were pleased to find that one such project was recently highlighted by Engadget: The Kamikaze 64, which is demoed in a video after the jump.

The device, which was commissioned by an unnamed party for an unspecified amount of cash, isn't the smallest handheld N64 we've ever seen. However, with a crisp screen, support for a second controller, video output, a headphone jack and a Controller Pak slot, it might just be the most comprehensive stab anyone's ever taken at miniaturizing the console. We'll take four, thanks.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>customhandheldkamikaze-64modn64nintendo-64portableMon, 25 Jan 2010 22:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/23/somewhat-playable-n64-emulator-released-for-jailbroken-iphones/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/23/somewhat-playable-n64-emulator-released-for-jailbroken-iphones/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/23/somewhat-playable-n64-emulator-released-for-jailbroken-iphones/#comments
Mobile emulation expert ZodTTD's newest project, a Nintendo 64 emulator for jailbroken iPhones, has been released -- and just in time for the holidays, too, allowing you to recreate thatone video with those screaming, flailing children. With a miniscule $2.50 price tag and bluetooth support, which allows you to control the emulator with a Wii remote, it would be a pretty great deal. If, you know, it didn't run at a handful of frames per second.

Check out the video after the jump to see the emulator in action, and to decide whether the double-thick molasses-slow gameplay is still worth the price of admission.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>appappleemulatoriPodjailbrokenn64nintendo-64zodttdWed, 23 Dec 2009 22:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/04/gamestop-lets-you-be-the-n64-xmas-kid/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/04/gamestop-lets-you-be-the-n64-xmas-kid/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/04/gamestop-lets-you-be-the-n64-xmas-kid/#comments
While the above headline is true, you'll probably have to squint your eyes a bit to see it. You see, someone at GameStop had the particularly brilliant idea of making an application that can plaster your face directly over the famous (infamous?) Nintendo 64 kid. What kid, you ask? You know the one. Yeah, that one. Or, if you're like us, you can always use a picture of a cat. Apart from the video being holiday themed, we're not sure how the application will help GameStop sell games. But, then again, we don't really care. We just put a cat face on N64 Kid's face. What more could you want?

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cultureDSgamestopn64-kidNintendonintendo-64nintendo-sixty-foooooooooourWiiFri, 04 Dec 2009 18:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2009/01/20/vc-tuesday-japan-celebrates-super-smash-bros-day/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/01/20/vc-tuesday-japan-celebrates-super-smash-bros-day/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/01/20/vc-tuesday-japan-celebrates-super-smash-bros-day/#commentsThe day is finally here! Well, not here here. But there are people in the world playing vintage Super Smash Bros. on their Wiis right now, and we declare that to be boss. They're paying 1,200 Wii Points for the privilege, but Japanese Wii owners have probably forgotten how much Nintendo 64 games are supposed to cost on the Virtual Console anyway.

Poor Champion Wrestler is doomed. This just isn't the week for another 4-player competitive fighting game starring at least one vintage game character (Rastan Saga's title character, in the Ultimate Warrior-esque guise of "Miracle Rastan").

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>champion-wrestlerfightingnintendo-64smash-brostaitovctuesdaywrestlingTue, 20 Jan 2009 09:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/11/20/some-guy-put-a-nintendo-64-in-his-wii/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/11/20/some-guy-put-a-nintendo-64-in-his-wii/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/11/20/some-guy-put-a-nintendo-64-in-his-wii/#comments Why? NOBODY KNOWS. Maybe he desperately misses the days of blowing in slots. Whatever reasons he had, this is now up on eBay, with bidding starting at $49.99. The auction notes that the mod is "100% working!" (uh ... good?) and that the Wii's blue lights still illuminate when it's switched on, which we have to admit is kind of neat. Also, the seller calls it a "Wii64." Hmm. See more of this peculiar beast past the break, and more illustrious Wii mods here.

What's better than playing golf with your favorite Nintendo characters in the comfort of your own imagination? Wielding a sword and playing a character named "Bowie," of course!

Mario Golf(Nintendo 64, 1-4 players, 1,000 Wii Points): Arguably the best in the Mario Golf series and certainly one of the cheapest. It just makes us wonder why Nintendo hasn't slapped together its cast of characters into a Wii golf game yet.

Shining Force II (Sega Genesis, 1 player, 800 Wii Points): You've got a sword in a fantasy medieval setting that rewards you for swinging said blade at others. Also, did we mention your main character is named Bowie?

To jog your memory, we've embedded videos of each title after the break.

Microsoft today released -- and promptly pulled -- a press release via Gamerscore blog (original link; via TeamXbox) announcing that the Banjo-Kazooie Nintendo 64 remake is coming "exclusively" (i.e. we're guessing no Virtual Console release) to Xbox Live Arcade on November 26 for 1200 ($15). Additionally, Microsoft announced a Banjo-Tooie remake is coming in early 2009.

Those who pre-order Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts will get it about two weeks early (the game launches just under two weeks prior on November 14). Achievements in Banjo-Kazooie will unlock content in Nuts and Bolts via the "Stop n Swop" mode. We don't know why Microsoft pulled the press release, but we'll let you know when it's back up.Update: It's back up.

While not as funny as Circuit City's "$10,000" Madden PSP bundle, Amazon has listed every Rock Band 2 game, bundle, peripheral and the Rock Band Track Pack as coming to Nintendo 64. While we were quick to assume this meant an overindulgent revival of the best Nintendo console ever, we quickly came back to reality after we noticed the box shots were showing the correct consoles (Xbox 360, PS3, etc.). Revival averted.

Microsoft wants it. Nintendo wants it. Rare has no control over it. Such is the situation with GoldenEye 007, fondly remembered and much-loved N64 shooter of yesteryear.

Speaking to Videogamer.com, Rare senior software engineer Nick Burton said that the bid to bring the eleven-year-old game to either the Virtual Console or Xbox Live Arcade was "locked in this no man's land," and that it was up to the separate license holders to play nice before the greatest Bond game of all time could be made available for download on any service. "The ball's not in anybody at Rare's court really," sighed Burton. "It's squarely in the license holders' courts. It's a shame. There's nothing on LIVE Arcade, there's nothing on Wii."

It's not solely about Microsoft or Nintendo reaching an agreement, either -- the revival of GoldenEye also hinges on those who own the license to the game rights now, the parties that have the licence to Bond as an IP, and "umpteen licensees." Man, looks like eBay is still your best bet if you yearn for some RCP-90 action.

The 64DD, much like the Neo Geo or the entire Game & Watch range, will probably always have a sort of magical allure to people like us; indeed, we were seconds away from selling our grandmothers when a complete 64DD collection recently appeared on eBay. Now, the above item has been listed on the auction site: a development kit for Nintendo's obsolete N64 add-on.

Although we know that the original system sold 15,000 units, we have no idea how many of these were produced, but considering only nine 64DD games were ever released, it can't be that many! Heck, if we had any idea whatsoever how to use this, we could buy it and make the tenth 64DD title! Imagine the possibilities!

Despite their ubiquity, the majority of Pokémon games manage to maintain a high standard, even when they abandon the more traditional Pokémans formula. Pokémon Puzzle League, for example, is one of the best examples of a Pokémon game that isn't a Pokémon game, and is comfortably worth its 1000 Wii Point price tag.

A pair of Eikichi Kawasaki-designed Neo Geo titles round off the week in Europe and Australia -- Samurai Shodown is one of the Neo Geo's best fighting games, while Burning Fight is another addition to the already oversubscribed (on the VC, at least) dude-smashinggenre.

The 64DD is unquestionably one of the more obscure footnotes in Nintendo history. The Nintendo 64 add-on sold only 15,000 units (85,000 units were reportedly scrapped), meaning that finding the hardware in good condition can be a tricky task, let alone a complete 64DD collection.

Yet that is precisely what's being offered in this eBay auction from UK seller golly_75. As well as a boxed 64DD unit, golly_75 is also including a Japanese Nintendo 64, a Nintendo 64 keyboard, a RandNet starter kit, and all nine of the 64DD games that were made, including rarities such as a factory sealed Japan Pro Golf Tour 64 (of which only 10,000 copies were made) and Daishuugou (Doshin the Giant 2: More than a Giant, which numbered only 3,000 units). In short, it's the most impressive 64DD collection we've ever seen.

The price so far reflects that, as well -- at the time of writing, the highest bid is $888.

Promotional Consideration is a weekly feature about the Nintendo DS advertisements you usually flip past, change the channel on, or just tune out.

In advance of this coming week's Pokemon Mystery Dungeon 2 releases, Nintendo has commissioned two commercials to herald the dungeon crawlers, one for each edition, Explorers of Time and Explorers of Darkness.

Once again, this sequel adopts Chunsoft'sFushigi no Dungeon (Mystery Dungeon) design to allow gamers to play as a Pokemon. It's a solid set of titles, by most reports, but many genre veterans consider them inferior to games like The Nightmare of Druaga and Shiren the Wanderer.

Nevertheless, kids are crazy for the Pokemon branding, and the original GBA/DS Pokemon Mystery Dungeon releases went on to sell over 5.5 million copies worldwide. And that's why we now have a major publisher supporting an extremely niche genre with two separate commercials.

You can view this feature in two ways, we suppose. Some will see it as a fitting tribute to the greatest videogame company of all time. Others might decipher this as a cynical piece of free advertising for the Virtual Console. As for us, we're just happy that new or younger players will be getting an insight into Nintendo's outstanding body of work. Just don't look at the games Japan is getting. That would make you angry.

Because Super Smash Bros. Brawl won't consume enough time on its own, rumor has it that the game's release will be accompanied by the appearance of Super Smash Bros. on the Virtual Console. We're not sure where you stand on purchasing a fuzzier, arguably inferior fighting game on the very same day you get to take home your shiny new copy of Brawl, but we imagine that very few of you will need your arm twisting.

Next Tuesday, Japanese Wii owners will be able to download the underrated N64 title Pokémon Snap on the Wii's Virtual Console. Unique to this release, however, will be newly added Wii functionality, setting an interesting precedent for future VC releases.

Dengeki Online reports that photographs taken in-game can be posted to the Wii Message Board, and sent along to friends using the Wii's internet connection. While this isn't a terribly interesting use of the Wii functionality, it does show that Nintendo is willing to add new features to Virtual Console titles. No word yet on when Pokémon Snap will be making its debut in other regions, but could other upcoming VC titles be receiving similar treatment?